EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cautioned on Thursday that Europe cannot replace US aid to war-torn country Ukraine, amid Republican infighting in Washington which threatens support for Kyiv.
After arriving at the European Political Community Summit which is scheduled to assemble the leaders of some 50 European nations in Spain, “Ukraine needs the support of the European Union… but also the support of the US.”
“Can Europe fill the gap left by the US? Well, certainly Europe cannot replace the US,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said she was “very confident” the United States would continue its aid for Ukraine despite the political headwinds in Washington which launched worries over further assistance for Kyiv.
She said, “Here in the European Union we are working on a package of 50 billion euros ($53 billion) for Ukraine for the years 2024 to 2027. This is very important because Ukraine needs predictability and reliability in the direct budget support.”
Von der Leyen added, “As far as I see the situation in the US, I am very confident of support for Ukraine from the US. What the US is working on is the timing.”
Kyiv said it’s working with Washington after Congress didn’t include new wartime assistance in the budget deal in a last-ditch measure to evade a government shutdown. However, President Biden emphasized that US aid to Ukraine will remain steadfast.
Earlier this month, in a statement, Biden said, “While the Speaker and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, there is no new funding in this agreement to continue that support. We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted.”
